For God .. not given a spirit of fear, but of power … love and of a sound mind Part (V) Love (III)

Using the analogy of crops in a garden or field, we have talked about weeding, that is getting rid of such things as blame, resentment etc. We also talked about good crops needing the nutrients of our inner attitudes of humility, openness, vulnerability etc. This morning I want to talk about watering. This brings to mind “cleansing … by the washing with water through the Word” (Ephesians 5:26). John tells us, that when we confess our sins to God, He is faithful and just not only to forgive us, but he is faithful and just cleans us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). The Scripture links together “clean hands and a pure heart” (Psalm 24:4), they are inextricably linked. In particular, I cannot have a pure heart if my “hands” are not clean, and I cannot love in the way that God wants me to love if heart is not pure.

So many things to say, but I must choose a direction. And I choose “Let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18), and I want to tie this in together with “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:26). We started this series, talking about behavioural therapy, where by acts of “love” we “replenish our love deficits.” But in these quotes from Scripture, what stands out to me that it is not only what we do, but how we do it, and with what attitude we do what we do. Paul describes acts of “love” without love (agape love) as akin to a noisy clanging cymbal (1 Corinthians 13:1). And we might ask, is a “kind act” really kind if it’s not done in love?

It might seem so hopeless, but in Christ there is always hope, and our main hope is that God has given us a spirit of love. I guess the main point that is on my heart this morning, is that when we cooperate with God, when we obey even if we don’t feel like it, then we can act our way into loving feelings. If we wait until we feel kind, until we feel compassionate, it might never happen. So what I am saying, is that we need to weed, we need to nurture, we need to water, and of course we need to pray.

Father, Your Word tells us “We love because you first loved us” (1 John 4:19 NIV). You are the author, the source and the finisher of love. Thank You that You have given us the spirit of love, and that it is freely available. We know that You want to love the world through us, but we desperately need Your help to be pure channels of that love. Thank You again that You who have begun a good work will bring it to completion, and we give You honour glory and praise again this morning Lord in Jesus Name Amen